Shorthanded Nuggets hold off Blazers in Northwest clash

Playing without their injured superstar for at least the next
two games, the Nuggets clamped down defensively and snapped a
three-game losing streak with a 97-89 win over the Portland
Trail Blazers on Monday to snap a tie atop the Northwest
Division. The game was the first half of a home-and-home series
between the clubs that will conclude Tuesday in Portland.

The Nuggets needed to make up for the scoring absence of
Anthony, who is leading the team with 20.5 points per game.
Anthony was sidelined with a right elbow contusion, but the
Nuggets survived thanks to 19 points apiece from Chauncey
Billups and Nene.

"I don't think I can define it, other than it was a big win,"
Nuggets head coach George Karl said. "Defensively as the game
went along, I thought we got stronger."

However, it was the role players off the bench who came up
biggest as Denver snapped a three-game skid.

The Nuggets were nursing a two-point edge midway through the
fourth quarter before reserve forward Linas Kleiza buried a
3-pointer. After LaMarcus Aldridge answered with a dunk on the
other end, J.R. Smith buried back-to-back long jumpers to push
Denver's advantage to 92-85.

"We just played great together," Smith said. "(We) played great
team ball, moved the ball, gang-rebounded and played defense.
That's what we need to do to win, with or without (Anthony)."

The Blazers pulled back to within four late in the period, but
Billups found Kleiza for a layup as the Nuggets held on.

"The aggressive team normally wins the game and I feel they were
the more aggressive team tonight," Blazers coach Nate McMillan
said. "For whatever reason, we didn't attack the basket or move
the ball. We can play much better than that."

Kenyon Martin had 12 rebounds and Nene also had 11 boards,
giving him his seventh double-double of the season.

Denver's defense did the trick on Portland superstar Brandon
Roy, holding him to just eight points - just four nights after
he torched the Phoenix Suns with a career-high 52 points.

"It was tough, tough to find our rhythm," Roy said. "They did a
good job of loading up tonight, lots of help defense, forced me
into some tough looks. They did a pretty good job tonight."

Roy entered the game with five consecutive outings with 29 or
more points, averaging 36.4 points over that span. But the
Nuggets limited him to just 3-of-11 shooting.

"Any time you want to be successful against a player like that
it has to be a team effort," Billups said. "Dahntay (Jones)
started out great on him, J.R. (Smith) had some good minutes.
It was a team effort."

Aldridge led Portland with 18 points, while Travis Outlaw added
15 off the bench.